Rotary internal-combustion engine



' L. AQDOWDEY ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Dec. 15,

1927' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 anfientom LIA/DUN 4- DOM DE);

awozwu L. A. DOWDEY ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Dec. 15, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 Lfl/VOO/V )7. 0014 05)? Patented Dec. is, 1928.

1 UNITED STATES 'PKTENT OFFICE.

Romany mrnnnn-comnus'rron nnomn.

Application filed Illeoemlperv This invention relates to rotaryinternal combustion engines .ofthe type" wherein a plurality of pistonsare mova lie in an annular chamber, and .:explosions between these pistons generate power which is transmitted to a drive shaft. 5

An object of the invention is to provide novel means for transmitting the power from the pistons to the shaft, vwhereby fricl0 tion and shock are minimized.

" Another object of the invention is to provide certain novel features in the arrange ment of the parts, whereby the efiiciency of engines of this type is increased.

' Further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a device embodying the invention the casing being removed, and parts of the housing being broken away to show the interior thereof;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of the same taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail taken on the line 3-3 0 Fig. 1;

Fig.4 is a diagram of the ignition system; and

'Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of one of the detent arrangements.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 "represents the drive shaft of the engine, carrying the usual flywheel 11. A cam member 12 of triangular form is keyed to the shaft 10 and forms the means whereby said shaft is driven.

Sleeve members 13 and 14 are rotatably mounted on shaft 10 -and have extensions 15 and 16 which surround the cam member 12 and are formed at their peripheries into a housing 17 which is of circular cross section and forms an annular chamber for pistons 20, 21, 22 and 23, the different parts of said casing being designated for convenience as 18, 18 18 and 18 Oscillating bars 24 and 25 have their opposite ends fixed to pistons 20 and 22, and 21 and 23 respectively, the bars being ,forked as shown in Fig. 2 and rotatably mounted on sleeves 13 and 14.

Fixed members 26- and 27 are disposed at opposite sides of the engine to form a .sta-

tionary casing which protects the moving parts of the engine an also forms-journal bearings for sleeves 13 and 14'.

A second flywheel 28 is fixed to sleeve 14,

s, 19,27. erg1 no. 239,791.

so that power may be taken oif the machine from two different points and attwo dif ferent speeds, as will be more fully described.

The end of shaft 10 adjacent flywheel 11 is tubular as shown, forming a chamber 29,

and a fixed intake conduit 30 is connected to the end of the chamber so that a fuel mixture may be passed thereto. The walls of chamber 29 are provided with ports 30 which communicate with a distributing chamber 31 formed in sleeve, 13, and passages 32 extend radially outward from chamber 31 and connect at inlets. 33 with the annular chamber.

Valves 34 control inlets 33, and have stems 35 slidably mounted in extensions 15 and 16. At the inner ends of stems 35 are rovided studs 36 seating in a cam groove 37 ormed in member 12, so that the opening and closing of the intake valves is controlled by the rotation of the member 12 relative to extensions 15 and 16. Similar valves36 control the exhaust passages 38leading from the chamber t0 tl1e atmosphere, and have stems 39 actuated by studs seating in a cam groove 54 in the opposite face of member 12, the arrangement being similar to that described in connection with valves 34.

The driving connection between bars 24 and 25 and the drive shaft 10 comprises two toggle systems on opposite sides of the en glne, each system, comprising a series of links 40, 41, 42, and 43 pivoted at 44, 45, 46 and 47 respectively to said bars, and pivoted to each other by means of crossrods 50, 51, 52, and 53, which connect the two systems together. Each of the cross-rods carries a roller 55 positioned to engage the periphery of cam member 12. It should be noted that this arrangement vforms a P toggle mechanism which, upon relative movement between bars 24 and 25, will be changed from the diamond shape shown in Fig. 1, wherein the longer diagonal is between rods 50 and 52, to a corresponding diamond shape wherein the longer diagonal is between rods 51 and 53.

Extensions 15 and 16 are' provided with four radial slots 66 which permit the cross rods to move therein, and with circumferen tial slots 67 arranged to permit bars 24 and 25 to'pass'therethrough and allow relative rotary movement between said bars and the extensions.

' Four spark plugs 56 are provided at intervals of 90 degrees about the housing 17 K v and are connected by leads 59 to terminals 57 carried by sleeve 13. Leads 59 may be run through intake passages 32, as shown, or separate passages may be made for them through extension if desired. While the passages through which the ignition wires pass into chamber .31(Figure 2) and chamber 32 (Figure 3) have been drawn to a rela: tively large scale for purposes of illustra- IO tion, it is of course understood that insula-" with contacts 62 positioned at three equidistant points around the circumference thereof, and adapted to bridge the gaps between contacts 57 and 58 to thereby complete the connections between source 60 and the l Various s ark plugs.

As is s own in Fig. 5, bars 24 and 25 are provided adjacent their ends with tapered grooves 64 in which ride balls 65 which, in the known manner, bear against inner surfaces of members 26 and 27 to prevent backward movement of the pistons. 4

The inner part of housing 17 is provided with four equidistant slots 71, through which bars 24 and 25 pass and have a limited amount of motion relative to the housing. Tongues 70 are provided at theends of each piston to prevent the leakage of gases through slots 71 from the annular chamber into the internal structure of the engine.

The operation is as follows: The parts he- 1 ing in the position shown in Fig. 1, the fuel mixture in space 18", which is under comression, is fired by spark plug 56, the circuit eing made through contacts 57, 58 and 62. The mixture thereupon explodes, driving pistons 21 and 23 in the clockwise direction, pistons 20 and 22 being held against movement in the opposite direction by balls 65. While pistons 21 and 23 are moving, fuel mixture is compressed in the space 18, fuel mixture is drawn into s ace 18 and exhaust gases are forced out 0 space 18, the cam slots 37 and 54 being so shaped as to operate the appropriate intake and exhaust valves to 55 permit such action. v

Rotation in the clockwise direction of piston 21 relative to piston 20 causes the toggle links to pivot about the points 44, '45, 46' and 47, thereby bringing the toggle mechanism into a different shape and draw- .ing roller 55 down the inclined face 12 of member 12, whereby member 12 and shaft 10 are'rotated. It will be understood that rod 50 moves inwardly at this stage, whereby roller 55 is pressed against face 12 to rotate cam member 12. Links 41 and 43 move substantially in the direction of their own axes, being directly pulled by pivots 45 and 47, their movement being practically parallel to the axis of bar 24, which is stationary dur- I through 60 degrees relative to piston 20, its tongue 70 will contact with the tongue of the next adjacent piston 22, so that further relative movement between the two pistons is prevented. The movement of piston 21 is not thereby arrested, however, since pistons 21 and 22 may move together until their combined momentum is spent in rotating the sleeve 14 and shaft 10. v

The next explosion occurs in chamber 18", cross rod 53 being at the time of this explosion at the outermostpoint of its path, and corner 12 of member 12 being then directly beneath the roller carried by said cross rod. The succeeding explosions progress around the chamber in the counterclockwise direction, the usual cycle of intake, compression, explosion, and exhaust being followed.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiment hereinbefore described, but that changes may be made therein which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: I

1. *A rotary internal combustion engine, comprising a shaft, a casing rotatably mounted on said shaft and forming an annular chamber, pistons movable in said chamber, and connecting means between said pistons and said shaft, including oscillating bars fixed to said pistons, toggle mechanism pivoted to said bars, and a cam member fixedto said shaft and operativley connected to said toggle mechanism 2. In a rotary internal combustion engine having a shaft, a casing forming an annular 120 chamber, and a plurality of pistons movable in said chamber; connecting means between said pistons and said shaft, including bars fixed to said pistons, toggle mechanism pivoted to said bars, and a cam member operativel connected to said shaft and to said togg e ,mechanism.

3. A rotary internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the toggle mechanism carries a plurality of rollers, and 130 the cam member consists of a triangular member the three faces of which are successively acted upon by said rollers.

.4. In a rotary internal combustion engine having a shaft, a casing forming a chamber, and a plurality of pistons movable in said chamber; a sleeve mounted on said shaft, power-transmitting means connecting said pistons and said shaft to drive the shaft at a predetermined speed relative to the speed of said ,pistons, and means connecting said pistons to said sleeve to drive the sleeve at a speed lower than that of said shaft.

.5 A rotary internal combustion engine comprising an annular chamber, a plurality .of pistons movable in said chamber, and

' means for causing a series of explosions between adjacent pistons in said chamber to drive'said pistons in one direction, said explosions progressing around said chamber in the opposite direction.

6. A rotary internal combustion engine comprising an annular chamber, a plurality of pistons movable in said chamber, means for causing an explosion between two adjacent pistons to cause one of said pistons to move away from the other, said means including an igniting device positioned intermediate said pistons, means for holding the other piston stationary during the explosion, and means for moving said igniting device in the same direction as the moving piston but at a speed one-half as great, whereby the igniting device remains equidistant from both pistons during the explosion.

7. A rotary internal combustion engine comprising an annular chamber, a plurality of pistons movable in said chamber, means for causing explosions between said pistons, two rotating drive members, and connecting means between said pistons and said drive members for driving said drive members at different relative speeds, said connecting means comprising a member driven by said pistons and two cam surfaces acted on by said member. v

LANDON A. DOWDEY. 

